The present invention generally relates to an automobile door assembly of a type generally referred to as a "flush-surfaced door assembly" and, more particularly, to a window structure in the flush-surfaced door assembly.
In order to cope with a streamlined design of an automobile body structure and/or to maximize the interior space for a given size of the automobile body structure, it is well known, as shown in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings, to provide the automobile 1 with so-called flush-surfaced door assemblies each comprising a door body 2, constituted by a generally double-walled structure having an inner door panel (not shown) and an outer door panel 4, and a window pane 3 adapted to be raised from and lowered into the space defined between the inner and outer door panels for closing and opening the window, respectively, which window pane 3 is positioned generally in flush with the outer door panel 4.
Designs of the prior art flush-surfaced door assemblies are many, one example of which is shown in FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings. The prior art flush-surfaced door assembly for an automobile, particularly, a passenger's car, so far shown in FIG. 2 comprises a door body 5 on which a window sash 6 is mounted on the top thereof and located inwardly of the window pane 3 with respect to the interior of the automobile body structure. The window sash 6 includes a pair of upright guide rails 7 slidingly engaged with a plurality of guide blocks 8 secured to the inner surface of the window pane 3 so that the window pane 3 can be selectively raised from and lowered into the space in the double-walled door body 5 with the guide blocks 8 slidingly guided along the upright guide rails 7.
An example of the prior art guide mechanisms for guiding the window pane along the guide rails forming parts of the window sash is illustrated in FIG. 3 of the accompanying drawings in cross-sectional representation taken in a direction perpendicular to one of the guide rails, for example, the rear guide rail with respect to the longitudinal sense of the automobile body structure. The guide mechanism shown in FIG. 3 is disclcsed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,227, patented Dec. 23, 1980, and is so designed that, while the respective guide rail 7 is constituted by a channel member 9 opening towards the window pane 3 positioned inwardly of the window sash 6 with respect to the interior of the automobile body structure, the guide block 8 secured to the inner surface of the window pane 3 is slidingly engaged in the guide rail 7. Although the guide mechanism disclosed in the above mentioned U.S. patent appears satisfactory so far as the guiding of the window pane is concerned, it has, however, been found problematic in that not only are the guide blocks 8 readily viewable from inside the automobile body structure providing eyesores to one or more passengers occupying the respective seats inside the automobile, but also raindrops entering the guide rail 7 through a gap between a respective peripheral edge 3a of the window pane 3 and a sealing strip 11 tend to readily penetrate into the interior of the autcmobile body structure through the opening 10 in the guide rail 7.